Electric railway.



No. 773,438. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

G. H. THOMAS 6: M. J. STONE; ELECTRIC RAILWAY APPLICATION FILED OUT. 14,1903.

N0 MODEL.

- UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE.

-GEORGE H. THOMAS AND MARTYN J STONE, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,438, dated October25, 1904.

Application filed October 14, 1903. Serial No. 177,066. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. GEORGE H. THOMAS and MARTYN J. STONE, citizensof-the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawannaand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Railways; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical railways, and moreparticularly to third-rail systems.

The object of the invention is to construct a hinged flexible coveringfor the third rail.

Another object of the invention is to construct a hinged covering formedin sections and adapted to swing upon projections secured at each sideof the third rail.

A further object of the invention is to construct a covering which isnormally closed and to provide means assembled with said coveringpermitting the said covering to be opened near the middle thereof andautomatically close said opening.

With these and further objects in view the invention consists in certainother novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, aswill be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectionalview of our invention. Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary view of thesections forming the cover for the rail. Fig. 3 is a detail View inperspective, showing a portion of one of the side coverings of the thirdrail, the inner corrugations thereof being clearly shown. Fig- 1 is adetail view showing one of the lugs 7 of the side rail-covering having aperforation formed therein and a portion of the top cover 8 with acorresponding perforation formed therein for receiving a pivot-pin.

Like reference-numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout thefigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a common steel rail.Parallel coverings 2 are secured to the side of said rail 1 and arepositively secured upon said rail 1 by bolts 3 or like means. The innerface of the parallel coverings 2 are provided with corrugations 1, whichcommunicate with apertures 5, formed in the parallel coverings and whichpermit of any moisture or liquids which may be collected inside of thecasing to pass therethrough. The said coverings 2 are preferably formedof any non-conductive material, and to positively insulate the thirdrail 1 from the ground or the foundation upon which it rests we providea sheet of insulating material 6, which is passed under said rail 1 andturned upon the flanges and held in this position by means of the sidecoverings 2. Formed upon the side coverings 2 is a plurality oflaterally-extending projections 7. The flexible cover for the top of thethird rail 1 is formed of' a series of detachably-mounted sections orplates 8, which are provided with a plurality of recesses 9. Saidrecesses are adapted to engage and rest upon the projections 7 to retainthe sections forming the cover for the rail in position. Suitablegrooves 10 are formed upon the abutting surfaces of each section, and acorresponding tongue 11 is formed integral with the adjacent section andis adapted to engage the corresponding groove 10 of the parallel member.As shown in the drawings, we. preferably construct these groovesdovetail in shape. It will be seen upon examining Fig. 1 that theextensions 7 are formed cylindrical in shape and that the recess 9corresponds to said extension and is provided at its lower portion 12with a cutout portion which permits of the mounting of the jointedsections 8 upon the parallel coverings 2 of the third rail. Thelongitudinal abutting surfaces of the sectional cover for the third railare constructed with a smooth surface 13, so as to permit of the saidmembers fitting snugly together when in a closed position.

If it is preferred, the extensions 7, formed upon the side coverings 2,may be provided with apertures, and the sections 8, forming the coverfor the rail, may be also provided with longitudinal apertures, and whenthe said sections are mounted upon the projections 7 a longitudinal pinmay be passed through said apertures for retaining the parts in anassembled position.

In operation the tongue carrying the shoe is adapted to engage the topor upper portion of the third rail 1, and as a car is passed over theparticularsection of the system the tongue will force the sectionalcoverings apart to a certain degree, and as said car is moved from overthe said particular section the sections forming the flexible coveringwill close by gravity and will be retained in this position until forcedapart by another car provided with suitable means passing over the same.

Although we have described the preferred form of our invention and haveillustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, we reserve the rightto make such modifications and alterations as shall fairly fall withinthe scope of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A covering device for a third rail comprising side coverings securedto the rail and hinged top coverings carried by the side coverings.

2. A coveringfor a third rail made up of side coverings secured to therail and a series of movable top sections having end-to-end engagement.

3. A covering device for a third rail,con1prising side coverings securedto the rail, a series of top covering-sections hinged at their outeredges to the side coverings and means for connecting the sections attheir meeting ends.

4%. A covering for a third rail, comprising side coverings fitting uponthe rail having bearing projections extending upwardly from their outeredges, top covering-sections having sockets fitting upon said bearingprojections and means for connecting the adjacent ends of the sections.

5. A covering for a third rail comprising hinged sections secured inparallel positions, and means assembled with the third rail fordetachably securing the said sections in their normal position.

6. A covering for a third rail comprising a plurality of parallel,hinged sections, each of said parallel sections secured in an assembledposition by means of tongue and grooves formed thereon.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a thirdrail, of parallel side coverings assembled therewith, projections formedintegral with said side coverings and extending in horizontal planestherefrom, sections detachabl y secured upon said projections mountedupon the parallel casings, and means carried by said sections forretaining the same in an assembled parallel position.

8. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a thirdrail, coverings assembled upon the sides of said rail, said coveringsprovided with an inner corrugated surface, extensions formed integralwith said parallel coverings, sections mounted upon said extensions,said sections being detachably secured together, and insulating meansassembled with said third rail and adapted to incase the bottom thereof.

9. A covering for a third rail comprising side covering-sections havinginner corrugated surfaces for engaging the rail, top covering-sectionsresting upon the side coverings and means for detachably securin g thetop sections in position.

10. A casing for a third rail comprising a plurality of longitudinal,stationary side coverings and a plurality of detachably-jointed topsections mounted upon said stationary coverings.

11. A casing for a third rail comprising a series of side coverings,part of said coverings being provided with apertures communicating withthe inner and outer surfaces thereof, a series of detachable topsections secured upon said side coverings, and means for retaining saidcoverings in their assembled position.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination with a thirdrail, of coverings inclosing the sides of the third rail, nonconductivemeans placed around the lower portions of the rail, and a plurality ofsections detachably secured upon said coverings so as to provide alongitudinal space above the rail, the said sections automaticallymaintaining the said space in its closed condition.

13. A covering for a third rail comprising removable side coveringssecured upon the opposite sides of the rail, said coverings havingcorrugations upon portions of their inner surfaces and provided withpassages leading outwardly from said corrugated portions, a plurality ofpivoted top sections mounted upon the side coverings and capable offolding together over the rail,said sections being formed ofnon-conducting material, detachable means for securing the sectionsmovably in place and connecting means interposed between the ends of thesections, the structure permitting of the sections opening when thetongue of a motorshoe passes between the said sections.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE H. THOMAS. MARTYN J. STONE. Witnesses:

WV. BAYLOR, JOHN J. BARRETT.

